The first thing you notice with Elijah Craig toasted Barrel is it's dark golden oak color. The nose is quite nice, floral almost perfume like. There are the classic Elijah Craig flavors like carmel and vanilla, but over laid with, as the name states, "toasted" oak. If you've ever smelled freshly sanded or cut oak, that's the dominant player here. It's not the bitter oak of young bourbons, it's a soft sweet oak that you can smell and taste as you drink. Its toasted marshmallow over a campfire. Where the small batch has lots of leather and some bitterness, this gives you a sweet oaky hug on the end. I think this is a sipper I'll be reaching for again and again.